China

Afghanistan

Economics

Energy

The Afghan Taliban said it had terminated its 25-year, $540 million oil extraction and development contract with China-based Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Co. on June 17, Nikkei reported on June 25.

Afghanistan, China: Afghan Taliban Cancels Major Chinese Oil Extraction Deal

Iran

Russia

China is reassessing the stalled Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline with Russia in light of the recent Israel-Iran conflict, which threatened oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, according to "people close to Beijing's decision-making" as cited by The Wall Street Journal on June 25.

China, Russia: Iran Tensions Potentially Revive Interest in Power of Siberia 2

Japan

Military & Security

Japan conducted its first domestic live fire drill of a long-range missile, specifically the Type 88 surface-to-air missile with a range of approximately 150-200 kilometers, Asahi Shimbun reported June 25. The test marks the first time a missile exceeding 100 kilometers in range has been tested within Japan's borders.

Japan: Domestic Missile Test Highlights Shift Toward Independent Deterrence Posture

Singapore

Environment, Science & Technology

Politics

Science & Technology

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong signed five agreements on legal cooperation, intellectual property, bond market access and digital, green and artificial intelligence collaboration during the latter's visit to Beijing, The Straits Times reported on June 24.

China, Singapore: New Agreements Reaffirm Ties Under Tariff Risks

United States

U.S.-China Relations

China added two fentanyl precursor chemicals to its Class Two list, enabling stricter supervision of their export starting July 20 in what Chinese officials deemed "a contribution to global drug control," Bloomberg reported on June 23.

China, U.S.: Beijing Bans Two Fentanyl Precursors as Rare Earth Exports Dropped 80% in May

Niger

Turkey

France

Nigerien authorities announced that they would nationalize uranium mining company SOMAIR, a subsidiary of France's state-owned Orano that owns the country's only operating uranium mine, Reuters reported on June 20. 

Niger: Junta To Nationalize Subsidiary of France's Orano 

Europe

The European Union will restrict Chinese access to public procurement contracts for medical devices valued above 5 million euros ($5.7 million) starting June 30, the European Commission said in a June 20 press release.

EU, China: Brussels Limits Chinese Access to Public Medical Device Contracts

North Korea

Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had pledged to supply 1,000 troops for mine sweeping and 5,000 military workers for infrastructure reconstruction efforts in Russia's Kursk region, AP reported on June 18, citing Russia's TASS state media outlet.

North Korea, Russia: North Koreans To Provide Mine Sweepers, Military Construction Labor to Kursk

Snapshots

New Zealand

People are seen behind a New Zealand flag during a ceremony celebrating the anniversary of Anzac Day. 

Prime Minister Luxon's recent trip to China marked a high-stakes diplomatic mission aimed at both deepening economic ties with Beijing and signaling New Zealand's more assertive regional posture.

New Zealand's Pivot: Assertive Defense Meets Economic Dependence on China

Assessments

Canada

Australia

United Kingdom

Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and British Defense Secretary John Healey sit together for the AUKUS Defense Ministers Meeting at Old Royal Naval College on Sept. 26, 2024, in London, England.

Despite growing U.S. skepticism, strong imperatives to counter China's maritime presence will likely lead Washington to see a revised version of the AUKUS defense pact through.

U.S. Review of AUKUS Pillar I Puts Pact on Shaky Ground

Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

Indonesia

Laos

Malaysia

Philippines

Thailand

Vietnam

The Geopolitics of Trade

Global Trade

The impending full implementation of sweeping U.S. tariffs threatens to significantly disrupt export-driven ASEAN economies, which is driving countries to seek alternative trade partners.

The Geopolitics of Trade: U.S. Tariffs Give Impetus to ASEAN Trade Diversification

Argentina

Belize

Bolivia

Brazil

Chile

Colombia

Costa Rica

Cuba

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

El Salvador

Guatemala

Guyana

Haiti

Honduras

Mexico

Nicaragua

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Suriname

Uruguay

Venezuela

(L-R) Colombian Foreign Minister Laura Sarabia, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Honduran Foreign Minister Eduardo Enrique Reina attend a plenary session of the China-CELAC ministerial meeting at the Great Hall of the People on May 13, 2025, in Beijing, China. 

Latin America and the Caribbean will welcome China's increased engagement, but strong ties to the West and China's economic slowdown will limit Beijing's influence in the region.

Despite Stronger Trade Ties, China's Influence in Latin America Will Remain Limited

Cargo shipping containers are seen stacked at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, California, on April 15, 2025. 

Regardless of any short-term concessions, the U.S. will likely eventually expand the scope of its technology restrictions against China, likely prompting Beijing to retaliate by once again restricting exports of rare earths or other critical raw materials.

U.S.-China Framework To Implement Trade Deal Will Only Temporarily Ease Tensions

A stock image showing industrial magnet parts.

China will likely continue to wield export restrictions on rare earth elements and related magnets in response to future U.S. restrictions, sustaining a high risk of supply chain disruptions, particularly for automakers.

In Trade War With U.S., China Finds a Pressure Point With Magnet Restrictions

Kenya

South Africa

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Poland

Israel-Hamas Conflict

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: A U.S. Tariff Ruling, Israel's Opposition Seeks To Dissolve the Knesset

Taiwan

Taiwanese lawmakers prepare to vote on reconsidering controversial bills in Taipei, Taiwan, on June 21, 2024. 

Political infighting since the president's inauguration has impeded Taiwan's efforts to bolster military spending and has prompted Chinese military and economic retaliation, which could eventually imperil U.S. trade and arms deals.

After One Year Under Lai, Taiwan's Political Dysfunction Shows Little Sign of Easing

India

Pakistan

Turkey's export strategy necessitates trade partnerships with countries in many different spheres of influence, portending both risks and opportunities as Ankara attempts to maintain its neutral middle-power status.

The Geopolitics of Trade: Turkey's Export Strategy Hinges on Neutrality

South Korea

A U.S. courthouse facade with columns in lower Manhattan, New York.

The court ruling nullifies most -- though not all -- of the Trump administration's tariffs, giving U.S. trading partners temporary breathing room in negotiations while the White House searches for alternative trade measures.

The White House's Tariff Ambitions Bend -- But Do Not Break -- Under the Weight of a Court Ruling

The ASEAN logo May 15 in front of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Malaysia will host the first of the two annual summits of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on May 26.

The Weekly Rundown: Trans-Atlantic Trade Talks Intensify, Malaysia Hosts Two Summits

Columns

On Geopolitics

A digital illustration of a Chinese flag.

The apparent ineffectiveness of consumer subsidies in raising retail sales, paired with the government's continued resistance to stimulus, suggests that China's post-COVID consumer activity will remain depressed for the foreseeable future.

Gauging the Success of China's Consumer Subsidies Program, One Year Later

<p>China is situated on the eastern third of the Eurasian landmass, between Russia, mainland Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. Its more than 9,000 mile-long coastline abuts the Yellow, East and South China Seas. China is a country of deep geographic divisions. Most fundamental is the split between its fertile eastern lowlands and the arid, sparsely populated highlands that enclose the lowlands like a shell. More than a billion people live in the ethnic Han Chinese core, making it one of the most densely populated places on Earth. Traditionally, threats to China&#39;s Han core originated in the borderlands. To guard against overland invasion, successive Chinese rulers have sought to push the Core&#39;s borders outward &mdash;integrating these highlands as strategic &quot;buffer&quot; zones. These zones form a shield, protecting and containing the core. To be secure, China must control the buffer regions. But maintaining control of the regions, in turn, requires a strong and united core. And that means overcoming immense internal divisions &mdash; not only between northern and southern regions orbiting the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, but also between smaller regional units, each with their own geography, history, dialect and interests. Chinese history is defined by cycles of unity and fragmentation, from periods when a strong Han core captures and holds the surrounding buffers to those when a weak core breaks into its constituent parts, loses internal coherence and cedes control of the borderlands. This pattern, rooted in China&#39;s geography, has played out with remarkable consistency. By comparison, China&#39;s maritime interests have remained mostly limited to coastal waters. Today, however, growing international trade and rising Chinese reliance on overseas resources threaten to alter the pattern, adding a new maritime dimension to the struggle for buffer space &mdash; and potentially upending the long-standing dynamics of China&#39;s geographic challenge.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

Afghanistan, China: Afghan Taliban Cancels Major Chinese Oil Extraction Deal

China, Russia: Iran Tensions Potentially Revive Interest in Power of Siberia 2

Japan: Domestic Missile Test Highlights Shift Toward Independent Deterrence Posture

China, Singapore: New Agreements Reaffirm Ties Under Tariff Risks

China, U.S.: Beijing Bans Two Fentanyl Precursors as Rare Earth Exports Dropped 80% in May

Niger: Junta To Nationalize Subsidiary of France's Orano

EU, China: Brussels Limits Chinese Access to Public Medical Device Contracts

North Korea, Russia: North Koreans To Provide Mine Sweepers, Military Construction Labor to Kursk

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